BREXIT & LGBTQ Asylum concerns part 2: the Trumpage ........

In part one I looked at the ongoing BREXIT concerns and the outcomes from the United Kingdom’s referendum on leaving the European Union and pending referenda in Scotland to leave the United Kingdom, Ireland’s concerns about border protection and subservience to the English parliament. Business interests in both the EU and elsewhere are worried for tariffs, trade deals and future movement of investments. The immigration matters as well are of concern under an EU Schengen visa system effectively giving free movement to nationals in participating states; that may come to an end if and when ‘Article 50’ the parliamentary instrument must be enacted to start the BREXIT process. Right wingers backlash to refugees and or foreigners is alive and well for misplaced cultural fears and job availability, outside of the rowdy behaviour of some groups, namely the recent “jungle” camp in France which was destroyed by French authorities and rerouting said populations to other parts of the country even as the UK are hesitant to take persons who flow over or come by hiding in the under carriages of planes and lorries. The French have their fair share of ring wing advancement and some speculate that Francois Aunard may not win in the upcoming elections.

also see: Homophobic attacks in UK rose 147% in three months after Brexit vote

Gleaner's Lasmay took a shot at it and got it right

US EXITeering?

Said persons do not want to stay in France but will and are willing to risk life and limb to such extremes as walking the entire length of the underground tunnel from France to the UK as they see the UK a better option. A trend that has been on the rise prior to the present UK Prime Minister’s Theresa May’s tenure, the more open resistance by right wingers and pass round donkey games by some states, namely Greece lest we forget; let us also not forget Germany in last year was LGBT asylum applications and indeed others have been met with pressure from the UK’s Home Office this while some fees have increased by some 300% in some instances; that of paper applications with or without a solicitor, Prime Minister May’s expression of interest of reducing overall immigration numbers by half from some 300,000 to150,000 is a clear indication where she intends to go.

Similar postures from Holland of all places have not gone unnoticed, a recent court case in that country of a far right representative blasting Cameroonians in large numbers and they and other non white foreigners need to be reduced shows the emboldened change some have who are no longer prepared to stay in the shadows. Now that Trump has won the strangest US elections yet on anti immigration rhetoric especially to Mexicans while not defining his concern in any strident way to illegal immigrants, complete with clan support officially. He is seen as an outsider which further complicates matters, there may be a civil war inside the Republican party, will Trump come from the far right to centre left or so is yet to be seen, politics in America has been shaken and parallels can be drawn in Europe with other dynamic on the continent with a menacing China smoothing over Africa. While the Russians have been doing all they can to undermine American democracy. Isn’t it also ironic that November 9 in Germany was when that state removed the blockages for refugees?

Some of the antigay groups and pastors try to present some balance mostly hypocritically by infusing some conflict of interest in their arguments even as they celebrate Trump’s win, they claim his business interests may cloud his presidency in terms of his announced handing over of his Trump businesses to a blind trust and to his children to run, they ignore however that the law in the US says that such release of possible conflicts of interest with public officials must be done by way of said businesses by operated by some independent committee or management devoid of direct intervention by the absentee owner or management. I am not surprised said pious individuals see what they want to see as long as it suits their interests.

oh really!

Unapologetic nationalism or manifest destiny?

The President elect does not recognise climate change; he is hesitant on trade deals and is looking inwards that with foreign policy. He dismisses the claim by environmentalists as alarmists, climate sceptics indeed. The Paris climate agreement and decades of legislation are in his sights for removal or severe amendments. He can start the process for now but countries cannot simply leave the protocols and agreements’, bearing in mind the main goal is to reduce green house gas emissions. He says it is ‘global warming BS’ the commitment of the countries may waiver as they were buoyed by the US leading in the charge getting the cooperation of other states, the entire agreement could fall apart. It was one of the areas with the US and China after locking horns arrived at some middle ground. Trump is also a pro-coal supporter despite China’s near about face and increasing solar energy thrust to address the pollution and smog poor air quality challenging there.

Trump might have a Republican congress to back him in certain respects but his agenda and their agenda might not be the same, it is hard to read him in terms of foreign policy, his threat to remove Obama care although that maybe really difficult, his position on pro choice and if he had changed his stance given the evangelical support and LGBTQ issues in the face of his parading of a rainbow flag at one of his stops in the campaign. Executive orders and vetoes may become the order of the day. The uncertainty troubles me much as he is unpredictable and seems to position himself as the situation requires and what of the strangeness of the Caucasian gay male support as well despite the uncertainty, who is really a Trump voter? Racists, poorer whites and Puerto Ricans moving from their island to Miami, the fundamental question in my mind; anyone can publicly find Trump’s revolting rhetoric and then in the voting booth give him the chance, despite polls, despite some media propping. Anti immigration pundits contributed greatly to Trump’s campaign as well; some locals are worried about the H2B visa work program as well, in the face of recent automation news with a patent gained on apple picking technology with harvesting rates of 1 apple per 4 seconds. Despite the fact that Americans are not interested in those types of jobs and immigrants are eager to take them, alongside nursing home care-giving ones a deceptive narrative has resurfaced to suggest said immigrants (legal or not) are ‘taking’ those jobs from Americans.

Demagogic populism has trumped sensible thinking it seems. He claimed he wants to drain the slop in Washington but he’ll have to walk through towards getting into office. A “rigged” system has got him in; wow how bizarre is that, America is seen as joke in some circles now. Trump now finds himself facing Obama after blasting him as unfit and questioning his ethnicity indeed immigration status history and citizenship but now he has to meet with elder statesman in part of the 70 days of transition to the Oval office. He has to reorder his foreign policy points during the hustings at the stomp, his recalibrations on South Korea for example are telling of uncertainty concerns. Fixed grins and diplomatic optics I suppose. The ‘Forgotten man’ reference by Trump is an old Franklyn D Roosevelt position he held, Trump says he is going to bring back jobs.

A right wing leader of Hungary has endorsed Mr Trump claiming it is time to smash misguided liberalism in his mind. The news of the Canadian immigration website crashing due to huge traffic volumes, persons seem to be exploring options to relocate and job opportunities. He flips flops literally saying or tweeting something in the morning and changing his position hours later. These uncertainties are an existential threat to small island developing states such as Jamaica. The violent anti Trump protests while highlighting the displeasure factor also seems to show up the amazing ignorance of some Americans of their own political systems and the Electoral College selection of Presidents. A popular vote does not put such presidents in the office; burning effigies of the man is one thing but did the but one can spend better time by applying pressure to the local representatives and individual state legislators so as to keep some checks and balances on Trump’s presidency and policy direction.

Some questions:

What will America’s policy on refugees and asylum seeking look like under a Trump administration; especially given the early HIV years under President Reagan and his refusal to even acknowledge the matter but siding with conservatives even more so and justifying no gays rights by stigmatized medicalizations; other under President Bush(es) there was some reticence despite USAID work to address these issues and hesitancy on asylum for homophobic victims who find it an uphill task to have their cases heard let alone win them, will there be a review of those cases that have been granted prior, will the old HIV travel ban in the late nineties or banning of donation of blood from gay men become a template for reducing asylum opportunities, will grant aid drop in a view to save money and as Trump puts develop America and create new jobs. Will Trump change Obama’s PEPFAR arrangements as well?

As Trump has threatened to bomb iSIS and other military might although at the risk of sounding ominous what should happen if he goes to war to appease his base and project strength, what will happen to successful asylum seekers, especially LGBTQ individuals, will they be forced into constriction with very little federal benefits or residency rewards, similar to what happened with Jamaicans who went to England in the second world war who joined the royal air force and allowed to apply for citizenship; or will non compliant or volunteering asylum persons be forced out by way of case reviews and examination of case files as to the status of their countries of origin, As I always said asylum status is not a guarantee to citizenship in the United States. Persons should not get complacent.

As for that acceptance speech is nice sounding and rather aspirational but despite his calmer cadence of speech obviously prepped before delivery he thrives on showmanship promoting supposed unity. I am not fooled by it as it was the divide and rule construct he used so tendentiously, as the narrative to gain support then in the speech offering an olive branch of some kind makes good for optics and smooth transitioning of power, Obama’s statesman like speech is welcoming, at least he understands the ground game and doing everything to protect his legacy.

I am still in shock that a political neophyte known as the ‘Donald’ could come to power, this was not how this election was to end even as labelled Hispanics as ‘hombre’ while playing on the dissatisfactions on certain classes “Make America great again” despite the misogyny, is democracy all but dead here now when anyone can become the leader of the free world. But John F Kennedy warned about this prior to his murder, he effectively said every President needs a lull period to adjust and settle as many of what was promised on the campaign may not be deliverable. So I conclude instead of the motto credo ‘God Bless America’ it might be read in the future as ‘God SAVE America’ instead.

one of the memes floating aound during the campaign 

There is a cultural diversity that cannot be ignored anymore, the days of the privileged Caucasian with political power are all but dead as the ‘browning’ of the US by way or Latinos, African immigrants and such is unmistakable, they will make the majority in the long run; this round seems to be a last ditch effort to hold fast to ‘white power’

patronising suppport for LGBT to get votes?

Trump cannot be trusted.

Washington may change Trump or Trump may Trump Washington is yet to be seen, he may not able to ‘drain the swamp’ which is a far cry from running a private business versus governing within boundaries and Capital Hill runnings. The presidency seems to be moving to a ceremonial one than an office with on individual with raw power, said President is constrained in certain respects. Do not loose sight of the fact that Hillary Clinton got the popular vote to the tune of some 200,000 votes than Trump. The midterm elections should be interesting and when he is tested his temperament will be watched closely.

Will Michelle take it up for the next election cycle given her posturing in this last one? even as the above GQ photo of the first lady presumptive floats around. This is the image of dignity that should obtain in the Oval office?

I have to concur with former JLP spokesman (although he is antigay) that Trump is going to become the very thing he has demonised; as the reality hits him, trade deals he wants to change will be problematic and so on he will have to adjust. He cannot have his cake and eat it too.

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H

IPV with sexual assault; a potent mix

April is observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month on this blog and in the US and the stories and issues come flying out it is unbelievable at times. Been a little busy as of late with workshops and such and some upcoming changes that directly impacts my operations but here we go; a Facebook group discussion for example brought front and center the issues to do with intimate partner violence wrapped up in misogynistic attitudes but displayed by same gender loving female partners. The issue of butch identified women who seem to adopt assigned male attitudes negative towards women in terms of belittling them, making demands of them sexual which are to be met, power differentials that play out in rigid incorporation of hetero-normative role playing (demanding man versus submissive woman) while buying into gangsterism as defining misogyny.

The recent standoff at a popular strip club between two women I witnessed and the almost boxing ring-like cheering by other men who saw the fracas as an exciting event complete with blow by blow shouts and learned commentary to boot; that incident alone in my mind denotes the challenges and the obvious need for self expression but masculine acting women feel in order to validate their masculinity act like, adopt or project strength via bravado as in the case of marginalized men in Jamaica. This is in the context as well of recent discussions locally and internationally on non binary persons and the changing expressions out there other than the standard LGBTQ and I.

Confirmed and unconfirmed reports still abound and a recent case involving the police sites the challenges that continue to occur.

Sex on demand whether one consents or not

Then there is ‘as you see me give me’ mantra as supported by popular music and indirectly legitimises sexual assault if ever so tendentiously; a woman or even men who are seen as weaker in gay liaisons is obligated in the minds of more aggressive types and there must be no resistance to same. Co-dependencies in liaisons also plays a role I have seen over the years, one party maybe unemployed or lesser powered and is cohabiting with another who is financially stable but sexually starved or preoccupied and seeks to fulfill such needs and tension in a union of sorts. The reciprocal need to please or satisfy the other while supposedly not ruffling feathers causes all other kinds of challenges as well. So because the lesser powered individual is under ‘my roof’ that individual is obligated to open their legs in order to remain in the home if not it’s the highway and this kind of arrangement tends to pop up in so called couch surfing assistance for forcibly evicted or displaced persons who seek or get help under the guise of genuine assistance. This kind of assault issues are not limited to lower-socio economic classes as time has shown that many cases go unreported and often is spoken of (the ones that do get released) years after the fact when persons have moved on and feel more comfortable when there is a feeling that their already lessened powered position won’t be further threatened.

Ignorance plays a role as well on the part of the impacted individual as they may not be able to pick up the signs of a grooming preparatory phase before the onslaught or demands for sex without getting the required consent. Now we hear the education minister raising figures of abuse from the Office of the Children’s Registry, OCR and CISOCA from 2007 to 2015 as 16,000 plus such cases but he never said how many were solved versus unsolved. Why are seeing this scourge becoming such a rampant feature?

Despite campaigns, interventions millions of dollars spent and grants disbursed the situation seems unmoved if not unsolved by such attempts. As visibility of LGBT life continues especially since 2012 on social media and such the issues that were once either hidden or under-reported and still are to a certain extent (I have no doubt) those attendant matters come forth. Is the oppressed while changing its position to holding some power adopting the elements of the oppressor? A recent radio discussion looked at the chicken and egg situation regarding dancehall music for example and whether the influences can be tagged there; but dancehall is merely mimicking life I say on the other hand, subject matter from the genre or out of it don’t just fall from the sky I imagine.

Matters of self worth, self esteem and so on has a lot to do with it my experience has taught me, if one is not confident in who one is then there are close links to the aforementioned co-dependencies which suggests changes in systems in education, raising of children, behaviour change (ongoing but seem ineffective) and mindset change first and foremost, but where is one to begin? With the obvious backwardness as displayed recently at the anti gay group Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society JCHS of so called concerns on sex education in schools and a call for a kind of purging of same albeit in an information age then it is no wonder some of our challenges continue; thinking hiding information from minds when said info is a literal finger swipe away on a device (maybe the JCHS may want to censor the internet later) then they are fools frankly.

Where are these voices like JCHS when the very sexual assault and related fears turns up in churches of all places or carried out by pastors on church sisters and the age old issue of clerical abuse via priests? Then comes the rubbish frankly by Dr Wayne West chief protagonist of JCHS that “I don’t want to peep in your bedroom” claiming that the fight is not about consenting adults, then if it is not about peeping into bedrooms so to speak and the false dichotomy about freedom of speech then where else would buggery be mainly committed by said consenting adults?

It is this backwardness and supposedly protecting children in a misguided attempted to purify minds that have kept many in ignorance and hence the sometimes ridiculous debates, accusations and counter accusations of sexualizing children. Does not this same group really sit down and listen to the dancehall lyrics that play on open radio every day? The very violence, sexualization and such are promulgated by the very religious right groups on some moral quest yet find it convenient to deliberately continue to conflates abuse with same gender sex in the continuous efforts to ‘other’ those who are not as they are. With pressures such as this from fanatics and a unaturalizing of same gender loving relations then it is no wonder to me that to gain some legitimacy by adopting negative constructs seen as acceptable elsewhere.

More anon.

Peace & tolerance

H

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month ...............

OK so I missed it last year and I apologize [while being racked for making such a faux pas lol], maybe so much was on my plate or scheduling issues. Thanks for the reminder readers; I am impressed now that there are and indeed always been some on point readers.

Now to pressing matters:

This year's theme on this blog is "Prevention is possible'' as myself and stakeholders offer some tips with regards to lessening ones risk of assault. Specific to corrective rape challenges there were only two reports that came in for 2015 that were confirmed which is two too many but a marked reduction as opposed to recent years.

The abuse of children however is still an issue and will be tackled by Eve for Life at an event planned for April 12, 2016.

Now for some tips on reducing risk of assault.

Safety Planning
For many people who have been impacted by sexual assault, current and long-term safety can be an ongoing concern. 

If Someone is Pressuring You
If you find yourself in in a situation where someone is pressuring you, remember that it’s not your fault. These tips may help you exit the situation safely.

What Consent Looks Like
The laws about consent vary by age in Jamaica AOC is 16, but you don’t have to be a legal expert to understand how consent plays out in real life.

Safety Tips for Traveling
The following tips can help travelers plan for a safe and comfortable trip and may reduce the risk of many different types of crimes, including sexual violence.

Alcohol Safety
Alcohol may make it easier for a perpetrator to commit sexual assault and can even prevent someone from remembering that the assault occurred.

Safe Web Browsing
There are two important safety elements to consider when you're browsing online: privacy and security.

Meeting Offline
Consider these safety tips when you plan to meet someone offline.

Social Media Safety
Take steps to protect your personal safety with the following social media safety tips.

Staying Safe on Campus

College campuses can give you a sense of security—a feeling that everyone knows each other and watches out for one another. There are perpetrators who take advantage of this feeling of safety and security to commit acts of sexual violence.

Lesbophobic threat:
If in any doubt relocate as quickly as possible, report the matter to a trusted source or outfit or the police. Set your schedule for daytime movements as best as possible. Note untoward comments and misogynistic gestures. 

Resources for Parents

Protect Your Child from Sexual Abuse
There is no foolproof way to protect children from abuse, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of harm.

Talking to Your Kids about Sexual Assault
Conversations about sexual assault can be a part of the safety conversations you’re already having today.

If You Suspect A Child Is Being Harmed
Child sexual abuse is a crime that often goes undetected, but you have the power to make a positive difference in a child's life by stepping in when you suspect harm.

Evaluating Caregivers
There are steps you can take to evaluate caregivers, such as babysitters or nursing homes, to reduce the risk of something happening to your loved one.

If Your Child May Be Harming Another Child
If your child has acted inappropriately or hurt another child, it is imperative that you take steps to ensure the safety of others.

Warning Signs

It’s not always obvious when someone you care about has been affected by sexual violence. Learn the warning signs for children, teens, and college-age adults.

Try to research other online sources for tips and be vigilant at all times even when you may feel there is no threat.

Peace & tolerance.

H

Lesbians clash in car park outside popular strip club

So same gender loving relational matters or fallouts keep spilling over into the public domain and causing some image challenges in my view in terms of carving respectability and such. Not because we are LGBTQI and are impacted by negative pressures from society means we must be violent in all circumstances or display our under carriages to John Public, who for all intents and purposes seek to use anything to deny recognition of LGBT normativity so such clashes as the one I am about to share become ammunition to give credence to such denials. If we can’t be as heterosexuals in other words in terms of socialization then why do we or should we deserve same?

So I was forced to drop my usual routine at home on a weekend Friday evening as I normally prepared to make my way down to my DJ gig on the north west of the island; I was coaxed quite forcibly [mi vex still] into accompanying a lesbian friend of mine and two other persons to a popular strip club in New Kingston known as Palais Royale that attracts many same gender loving women over the years and has had its reputation reach international status. In the same breath it has had some awful incidents as well to dent that otherwise good reputation in as far as open entertainment for lesbians and some gay men are tolerated although the DJs can get very caustic when perceived gays or drag queens are in the house; with sometimes cheering support from lesbians. The old rift of lesbians despising effeminate men in public sometimes show up.

We have had shooting incidents by lesbians in that of one some years ago where a security guard who clashed with a woman was shot twice by her or COPS HUNT LESBIAN "SHOTTAS" or Lesbians Take Over Exotic Clubs 2008 (Wordpress Blog)

We arrived at Palais, entered, settled in, drinks in hand around 10pm or so (my DJ gig starts later on, maybe it was a good warmup for me) and we enjoyed the entertainment interspersed with laughter and reacquainting myself with some ladies I have not seen for quite some time when I was closer to the WomenforWomen group who would often drag us along for the fun of it to the same club. We noticed a minor skirmish by one of the tables between two women as evidenced in the crowd parting and a very animated butch appearing person clearly displaying some displeasure but the thing died down and festivities continued.

One thing I can tell you my readers butch women do not play when pursuing their entertainment and are heavy tippers; I stood almost in shock at the kinds of cash including foreign currency I saw being thrown on the stage and the heightened cheering and satisfaction. The previously animated woman was also in the mix making her contribution to one particular exotic dancer as the DJ vigorously encouraged the excitement, a job I know all too well in whipping a crowd into a frenzy. I ran into an older lesbian DJ who I occasionally worked with back in the day as well.

Time came for me to make my early exit as my out of town gig time was approaching and the drive though shortened thanks to the highway [yeah!] was still near two hours long; we made our way to the car parked some ways down on Ripon Road only to walk into an obvious fight as the shouts were audible. To my surprise it was the same butch identified woman who was animated before inside the club and another woman who were at it. The other woman grabbed her and throw her to the ground where they wrestled for a short time, much to the delight of the mostly male onlookers who were cheering and laughing; supposedly making light of the masculinity of the women in the melee and as if it were a boxing match described who punched who or who was more aggressive than the other.

Most of the men watching this go down were vendors on the outside on the street or male patrons or just hang-abouts who were engaging the female commercial sex workers who peddle on the outside of the club. I was not pleased with what I saw go down and to think the matter became a scene for excitement as if we were watching a knock out drag out fight in a Roman venue with one persons expected to die for entertainment. My lesbian friend was livid and expressed same while encouraging the ladies to stop the fighting and solve the matter another way. Another lady friend of hers who was with us gave some background suggesting that the aforementioned animated butch was a known trouble maker and her reputation preceded her; so no sympathy in essence was not offered towards her.

The fight was eventually parted by other women and a soup vendor who addressed the butch woman by a name as he pulled her away from the other person. Even as that was in progress the cheering men went into the after drama commentary that usually accompany these things gay or straight as the case may be. I found it offensive as it reduced in a sense gays and lesbians as constantly jealous and engage in fights over ‘pussy’ as loudly claimed by one of the misogynistically sounding laughing men. Words to the effect came from him and others that lesbians were not easy or determined in their quest for women lovers and would kill if necessary to achieve same. In other words all we are as gay people are sex hungry freaks at any costs.

We need to be careful how we play out our differences and clearly even after all these years for me we still have conflict resolution issues that require sustained interventions ad support. A fight along East Queen Street recently nearing Wildman Street was a case in point in about March 2015 when I was at a nearby betting shop making my punts for cash pot when a man walked in and proudly announcing that ‘two lesbian gal a fight’ by the location. By the time we got there one of the ladies clearly a stud identified type had her marina torn with her left breast showing under her bra while the other’s hat was on the sidewalk and her hair totally out of whack. And what were they fighting over allegedly? A woman it was surmised much to amusement of the men nearby at the two drinking spots; again the reduction of same gender identity to just sex seeking freaks devoid of emotion at any cost came up.

So much work maybe in a next lifetime maybe needed to change hearts and minds on dignity of LGBT people whilst reducing aggression as a way to solve conflict.

Peace and tolerance

H

also see:

The raid the night before by the cops:

LESBIAN ACTIVITY ON STAGE IN LINSTEAD CLUB RAISES CONCERNS 2008 

LESBIAN CLUB IN PORTMORE (THE STAR 4.12.08)

THE RESPONSE TO LESBIAN CLUB IN PORTMORE

(Wordpress archive blog)

Butch finds herself in some trouble for "non disclosure"

pic source

A butch identified woman or at best a presented one who recently attended a mainstream event on the weekend of June 25th in Kingston where she posed as a male with a female patron who she socialized with is now in trouble as it turns out she revealed her true identity several days after via a text message to her date for the night. This practice is becoming widespread even though some entertainment spots especially in Kingston and Montego Bay encourage same gender loving patrons to attend. The issue was confirmed recently by the sister of the woman who was courted at the event. She (courted woman's sister) said in a conversation I had with her recently that she did not have a problem with gay people or homosexuals but when we supposedly lie our way into people's lives without disclosure then

"we muss tek wah we get" (we must take what we get or what comes to us)

A clearly upset sister to the flirtee continued with a questions to the effect that why would someone do such a thing and not tell who you are before hand? This to me seems like anger coming from the mainstream perception that homosexuals are trying to change everybody else into gays as well so an innocent flirt could lead to big trouble if this is not allowed to die down soon or sorted out properly. Reports from the woman (flirtee) sister suggest the butch lesbian who they thought was a man approached her for a dance and spent almost the rest of the life of the event courting her albeit with a deep voice which did not suggest he was in fact a "she"

The flirtee's sister said she did notice that other females would approach or beckon to her upon arriving at the venue or passing by which suggested (s)he was well known and liked but in hindset she commented that men usually have other men or "bredrens" who under normal would also say hello or hail their friend as is customary in our homosocial tendencies in male networking by local standards.

Word has since come that the male relatives in particular of the flirtee have been up in arms since news spread and that a hunt is on for anything that can identify her as it is said "they want to talk to her" I do not like where this is going and my sister butch or stud we need to be cognisant that an innocent flirt to you can and may lead to something else that was not intended, here now we may very well end up with a case of lesbophobia turning ugly to violence which I hope doesn't happen. The flirtee's sister though a little angered by the turn of events since the disclosure and obvious sharing of the information by the flirtee to others was very careful in our conversation to say she was not condemning all of us just those who are not honest and "trick people" she continued "... a nuh everybody like dem tings deh my yute, we noh seh lesbian deh a party and dance but nuh so brave."

The other side of the coin also is did the butch have to disclose? or maybe she figured that doing so based on the flirtee's personality at the time she may not have reacted negatively.

Should she (the butch) have left the issue just as a flirt for one night and not pursue the following days? I say yes but you may have a different take. This is not the first time occasions such as these have occurred but I guess not written on for analysis.

Given Jamaica's sensitive nature with regards to homosexuality should one flirt openly with a possible heterosexual subject in a public space without disclosure?

Is there an ethical dilemma when one flirts openly without proper gender disclosure?

Is one risking ones safety when one chances non disclosure then chooses to disclose afterwards?

Just some questions that come to mind given the recent upward trends in attacks verbal and physical towards same gender loving women, in this instance I think the word "must" is needed as safety is tantamount to all else, we must be careful when taking on these risky behaviuour in public, in private that's another matter, at best subject and flirter can be in control of their actions and manage the situations better. The perception of the flirter being dishonest with ulterior motives as hinted to above coupled with perceived predatory practices of gays may not help the flirter in the long run.

Think before we act please, there is certainly more to come on this subject of disclosure or coming out.

Peace and tolerance

H